10 Most Underrated Animated Video Game TV Shows

Summary

• Underrated animated video game adaptations deserve recognition for their loyalty to source material and innovation in storytelling.
• From Cuphead’s aesthetic to Monster Rancher’s storyline, these adaptations bring beloved franchises to life in unique ways.
• Don’t overlook series like Earthworm Jim or Kirby – they may be dated, but they offer engaging characters and fun adventures.

There have been plenty of great animated video game adaptations over the years, and quite a few have fallen under the radar. While major animated game adaptations, like Pokémon, have become touchstones of popular culture, there were many more that have yet to gain the recognition they so rightfully deserve. There’s always plenty of talk about the greatest video game movie adaptations, but it’s important to highlight the many underrated animated video game TV shows out there.

The best video game adaptations all have something in common, they justified their existence by paying tribute to their source material while adding something new to the lore of the franchise. There have been incredible animated video game shows across a variety of genres, with anime, kids’ comedies, and enjoyable action series all proving themselves worthy adaptations of beloved franchises. While it’s not always easy to get an animated video game TV show right, these underrated entries deserved more recognition for how well they achieved that lofty challenge.

10 Donkey Kong Country (1997 – 2000)

Based on Donkey Kong Country (1994)

The original Donkey Kong Country game was a major entry in the long-running video game franchise that helped reestablish Donkey Kong as one of Nintendo’s most popular franchises. With a rich storyline that helped expand the world of Donkey Kong, it seemed a no-brainer that the game would be adapted into its own animated series. The result was the musical series Donkey Kong Country, which stood as the first television show to be animated primarily with motion capture technology.

While Donkey Kong Country’s animation style puts it in the history books, it’s also part of the reason it has not stood the test of time as well as some other underrated animated video game adaptations. Donkey Kong Country does look dated today, but those willing to forgive its faults will be rewarded with a compelling series full of great characters. Donkey Kong Country also differentiated itself from the games through its music, as each episode featured two songs performed by the characters.

9 Monster Rancher(1999 – 2000)

Based on Monster Rancher (1997 – 2022)

Much like in the world of Pokémon, Monster Rancher featured creatures who existed alongside humans who were often used to battle in tournaments. While the concepts of the two games may seem similar, Monster Ranchercarved out its own path and utilized an animal breeding style more akin to the virtual pet style of Digimon than the RPG style of Pokémon. Like the rest of its contemporaries, Monster Rancher was also given an anime adaptation, which sadly only ran between 1999 and 2000 and had a total of 73 episodes.

However, Monster Rancher packed a lot into its relatively short run as it told the story of a boy named Genki Sakura transported into a world of monsters. As Genki uncovered the mysteries of the stone disks, he traveled the world with a girl named Holly and her monster friend Suezo to seek the legendary Phoenix who could save the world from the evil Moo. While Monster Rancher was derivative of other games and anime series, it was also plenty of fun and a fascinating footnote of the Pokémon craze from the late 1990s.

8 The Cuphead Show! (2022)

Based on Cuphead (2017)

Netflix continued its streak of producing fascinating animated video game adaptations with the release of The Cuphead Show! Based on the run-and-gun series that followed the wayward Cuphead and his responsible younger twin brother Mugman, the most impressive thing about Cuphead was the love it showed for the history of animation and its incredible attention to detail. As a slack stick comedy with fantastic voice acting, music, humor, and tone, Cuphead felt simultaneously modern and like a callback to animation legends of days past, such as Betty Boop or classic Looney Tunes.

The Cuphead Show! expertly recreated the original game’s eye-popping aesthetic but replaced its pen-and-paper style with digital animation. While The Cuphead Show! has been criticized for lacking substance, the zany, over-the-top antics of its protagonists were energetic enough that it kept viewers entertained through all three seasons. The Cuphead Show! was a unique series based on a fantastic game that was woefully underrated.

7 Kirby: Right Back At Ya! (2001 – 2003)

Based on Kirby (1992 – Present)

As one of Nintendo’s best-selling franchises, it’s no surprise that Kirby got the anime treatment back in 2001, which acted as one of the greatest additions to the series that was not a video game. Kirby: Right Back at Ya! followed its titular hero as they crashed onto Planet Popstar and befriended the villagers that lived in Cappytown. However, the greedy King Dedede and his assistant Escargon were not happy about Kirby’s arrival and did everything in their power to drive him out.

Kirby: Right Back at Ya! was a fun-filled adventure series that followed the pink, spherical, childlike creature as they sucked up foes and avoided peril. With an ongoing storyline about bringing down the evil emperor Nightmare, this Kirby series had a thrilling narrative arc that brought style and substance to the franchise. While Kirby: Right Back at Ya! may not be very well-known to those without a passion for Kirby, it was well worth seeking out for those looking for some lighthearted adventures to watch.

6 Sonic The Hedgehog (1993 – 1994)

Based on Sonic the Hedgehog (1991 – Present)

While so many video game adaptations get a lot of flack from consumers, Sonic the Hedgehog was a franchise that often translated well to other mediums and has had plenty of great TV series. From the original Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog cartoon to the latest Knuckles series with Idris Elba, Sonic has had lots of television adaptations. However, it’s hard to beat the 1993 Sonic the Hedgehog cartoon, which imbued the series with a much darker and more dramatic storyline than anything that came before it.

Sonic the Hedgehog featured its titular hero battling to overthrow Dr. Robotnik, who had conquered his home planet of Mobius and become a despotic dictator. With themes of death, loss, and romance, Sonic the Hedgehog wasn’t afraid to push the boundaries of children’s entertainment as it delivered a series full of pathos and depth. With strong characterization and an attuned depiction of warfare, Sonic the Hedgehog stood as one of the most engaging cartoons of the 1990s.

5 Earthworm Jim (1995 – 1996)

Based on Earthworm Jim (1994)

Just one year after the release of the run-and-gun side-scrolling platformer Earthworm Jim, Universal Cartoon Studios released an animated series based on the burgeoning franchise. With the voice of Homer Simpson Dan Castellaneta in the title role, Earthworm Jim was an enjoyable addition to the series that helped expand its lore as its art style and characters were later implemented into future games. As the story of an average earthworm who gained superpowers due to an advanced super suit, Earthworm Jim saw its hero fight foes across the entire universe.

Not only did Earthworm Jim have an enjoyable art style, but it also had a unique sense of humor that still holds up decades later. With a likable main character, a sense of fun that can be enjoyed by kids and adults alike, and top-tier voice work, Earthworm Jim deserves to be remembered alongside the best video game adaptations. While far larger properties, such as Mario, had lackluster animated TV adaptations, Earthworm Jim was an artistic success and clearly a labor of love by its writers and animators.

4 Carmen Sandiego (2019 – 2021)

Based on Where in the World Is Carmen Sandiego? (1985)

The mystery exploration series Where in the World Is Carmen Sandiego? was a popular educational video game first released in 1985. With a story that involved a search for an elusive international thief and criminal mastermind named Carmen Sandiego, this game always hinted at a backstory that was never properly explored. That was until the release of the excellent animated series Carmen Sandiego, which told Carmen’s backstory from her own perspective.

Carmen Sandiego took influence from nearly 40 years of games involving the titular thief as viewers were taken on a journey around the world that both paid tribute to and elevated its source material. While the series was aimed at younger viewers, the storylines had enough depth and intrigue that it pulled audiences of all ages throughout its four-season run. Carmen Sandiego was a truly underrated series that showcased a video game adaptation done right.

3 Castlevania: Nocturne (2023 – Present)

Based on Castlevania (1986 – Present)

While the Castlevania video game series had already received an anime adaptation in 2017 that ran for four seasons, this franchise outdid itself with the release of the sequel series Castlevania: Nocturne. Based on the classic side-scrolling gothic-horror fantasy series, Castlevania: Nocturne was set in 1792 and adapted the games Castlevania: Rondo of Blood and Castlevania: Symphony of the Night. With plenty of exciting demon-slaying fun, Nocturne was a worthy follow-up to this fascinating series.

Just like in the Rondo of Blood game, Nocturne followed Richter Belmont’s fight against demons and night creatures as he attempted to prevent the apocalyptic rise of a godlike Vampire Messiah. With epic stakes and deep lore, Nocturne was the perfect example of a video game TV show done right. There were plenty of calling cards to the vampire myths that Castlevania was inspired by, and this series was a prime example of how to lure in new viewers while satisfying purists of the original games.

2 MegaMan NT Warrior (2002 – 2003)

Based on Mega Man Battle Network (2001)

The Mega Man game franchise has been ongoing since 1987 and has received plenty of spin-offs, including the underrated anime MegMan NT Warrior. This lesser-known TV adaptation was based on the Mega Man Battle Network, a tactical spin-off taking place outside of the main Mega Man continuity that focused on alternative timelines where computers and technology, rather than robotics, were the main scientific advancements. This concept differentiated MegaMan NT Warrior from other parts of the franchise as it focused on the incredible potential of the internet.

As a series produced in the early 2000s, MegaMan NT Warrior’s positioning of the internet as the driving force of everyday life was oddly prescient. This anime was a success while it aired but has been mostly forgotten by modern viewers, which was a shame because it was packed with plenty of intriguing concepts and ideas. This was a hidden gem worth seeking out for lovers of the Mega Man franchise.

1 Arcane (2021 – Present)

Based on League of Legends (2009)

With an impressive 100% rating on Rotton Tomatoes, Arcane was a fantastic animated series set in Riot’s League of Legends universe. With a style that mixed 2D and 3D animation, Arcane delivered an emotionally complex story focused on the sisters Vi and Jinx. Through incredible visuals, compelling characters, strong worldbuilding, and emotional depth, Arcane was an insightful series that could appeal to non-League of Legends players and long-time lovers of the series alike.

Arcane has consistently ranked among the best video game adaptations of all time but still deserved wider recognition among the mainstream as it was one of Netflix’s most impressive animated series. With a story of escalating unrest between the rich and downtrodden, although it’s presented in a steampunk style, Arcane was oddly relevant to the current social and political context of modern times. While Arcane has been well-received, this series sets a new standard for translating a game’s world in the medium of television.